2 Samuel 5:17–25

War with the Philistines

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, ^aall the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the ^bstronghold.

¹⁸Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in ^athe valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹Then ^aDavid inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And ^bthe Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”

²⁰So David came to ^aBaal-perazim and ¹defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place ²Baal-perazim.

²¹They abandoned their idols there, so ^aDavid and his men carried them away.

²²Now ^athe Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.

²³When ^aDavid inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the ¹balsam trees.

²⁴“It shall be, when ^ayou hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ¹balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then ^bthe Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”

²⁵Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from ^1aGeba ²as far as ^bGezer.